Time feeder for domestic animals



. March 1, 1927.

Wv F. WENT TIME FEEDER FOR DOMESTIC ANIMALS Filed Aug. 1,

William F: Wen

m W a Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

NITED STATES.

PATENT orrice.

' WILIJTAMF. WENT, OFLQOLORADO SERINGS, COLORADO.

TIME FEEDERVFOR DOMESTIC AN IM ALS.

App hcaticn filed August 1,. 192a. serial No; 729,563.

This invention relates to improvements in means for automatically feeding poultry, stock, or thelike at predetermined intervals withoutthe intervention of human aid.

A further and important object of this invention is the provision of a novel type of feeder embodying gravity I operated closure meansand a timing mechanism for tripping ventionwill ,be apparent during the course of the following detailed description. c

.In the accompanying drawing, forming va part of this specification, and wherein siniilar reference characters designate correspending parts throughout the several views,

LF-igure lis'ia .crosssectional view taken throughthe improvedfeeder, showing the relation of details thereof. a

Figuren2 is a rear elevation of the improved, stock :feeder, showing the regulating closuresmeans thereof inshut position.

Figure ,3 isa similar elevation of the improved vfeeder details with the closure regulating meansrtripped andopen.

Figures 4mm 5 are respectively cross sectional "views taken ontheir respective. lines in Figures .2 and3 of the drawing.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of: illustration is shown onlya preferred embodiment of this invention the letter A may generally designatezthe improved feeder which may include a housing- ,Bi; gravity operatedclosure means 0.; and means D for tripping the gravity operated closure means Catorelease .a quantity of feed fromthe housing "B. at ,a predetermined time.

The housing Bis preferably constructed of :any approved material such as sheet vmeta1, woodlzor the like, and may includea bottom 10 supported in a horizontalplane by legsll. Front and rear walls v12 and 13 are respectively provided in attachment :Wlt-ll the bottoin.10,..an d opposite side walls 15 and 16 arealso provided, the lower edges of which terminate vjust upwardly of the plane of the bottomv wall .10. Control doors .or vclosure members 18 and 19 are respectively pivoted, asat 20, to the opposite side edges .of the =bottoml0, which areadaptedto regu late the lower corner openings 21 and 22 respectively provided at the right and "left lower corners of the housing "B, and which when in set position are upwardly inclined from their hinged connection '20, ,and at their forward ends extend outwardly from the planes of the side walls 15 and 16, substantially as is illustrated in the drawing. lheyare of course so positioned that incident to their own weight theyiw'ill drop to an open position.

'Within'the compartment 25, of the lionsing B, inclined walls '28 and 29 are provided in V -shaped relation, diverging from'their upper apex end edges 30 toward'thelower edges thereof and the openings 21 ,an'd'22 respectively, so that they may act injfhopper mannerto convey the'feed from=the storage compartment 25 towards the openings 21 and .22. It is apparent that the feed inthe compartment 25wil1rest against the closure members 18 and 19, and the weight of the food will also assist'inopening said doors when theyare released by the meansC to be subsequently described.

Referring to the novel gravity closure operating means C, the trap doors or .010- sure members 18 and 19: are of course a part thereof, and the same furthermore consist of a substantially cross-shaped member including the, horizon-tally disposed cross arm 35,,flhaving an rupwardlyzextending vertically disposed guide arm 36 provided with a slot 38 longitudinally therein which receives aheaded guide pin 39 therethrough; the pin '39 being supported by ,andontwardly extending-from the back orrear wall 13 of the lfeederhousing'B. A depending vertical guidearm 40 is also provided'below the cross arm '35, having the slot 41extending therealong andtopen at the freeend of i the arm 40, which slidahly receives the rotatable shafts d2 and "70 of the ,means D therethrough; the shafts v42tu1d 70 and the {pin '39 being inverticalv align1nent,.,an'd extending through the slots 38 and 4:1 to guide the movement .of vthe cross-shaped member in its movement-at the exterior, side ofthe rear wall 13 One free end. of the cross arm 35 is pivotally connected with the closure lid l9 by means oflallink 4:5, whereasthe opposite end of thecross arm 35 is operably connected withithe closure lid 18 by means of a cross link 46. The

weight of the cross-shaped vmember is of course such,.that;it will operate onthe'liids 18 and 19 through the medium of the connecting links and 46 in order to maintain said lids open.

A detent member 50 is pivotally connected on a stub shaft 51 intermediate its ends, at the outer side of the rear wall 13 of the feeder housin B, which at one end portion thereof is adapted to cooperate against the lower edge 53 of the guide arm 10. to hold thccross-shaped member in an elevated relation with the closure members 18 and 19 closed over the openings 21 and 22; the detent member 50 being regulated by a clock controlled trip mechanism to be subsequently described.

Referring to the means D, the same includes a clock mechanism 60, which is supported within the compartment 61 between the sloping hopper walls 28 and 29, upon standards (32 carried by the bottom wall 10. This clock mechanism (50 includes the casing 63 within which the ordinary spring or other operating'mcchanism is received,

1 and which includes a central shaftarrangement 65 upon which the minute and hour hands 66 and 67 are mounted for cooperation over the main face portion of a dial 68. The clock mechanism furthermore includes a shaft 70 rotatably supported by a the stationary frame portion 71 of the clock mechanism, and at the forward end the shaft 70 supports an indicator arm 72 which cooperates over a time setting dial 73 delineated upon the main dial 68. At its rear end the shaft 70 extends through the rear wall 13 of the housing B, and has a thumb nut 75 supportedthereon. This shaft 70 as above mentioned extends through the slot 41 of the depending arm 40. y

The clock operated mechanism includes a driven gear 80, rotatably supported on a stationary portion 81 of the frame 71, in-

eluding a series of gear bars 82 adapted to mesh with a gear 85 which has a frictional driving fit on the shaft 70, although this gear 85 may slide longitudinally on the shaft 70 for a purpose which will be subsequently described. As a part of the gear 85 a cam 86 is provided, having a plane side or topsurface 87 with a recess 88 inwardly thereof, one side of the recess ending in an abrupt shoulder and the other incliningon an even slope into the plane of the surface 87. A cam arm 91 is fixed on the shaft 70, in radially extending relation therefrom, adapted to cooperate over the plane surface 87, and within the recess 88 of said cam 86, as will be subsequently described.

A spring is carried at one end 101 upon the frame 81 of the clock mechanism, and engages the gear 85 on the opposite side thereof from the cam details 86and 91. This springnormally forces the cam body 86 into engagement with the cam part 91 of rod 105.

the shaft 70, and the spring at its free end 10a is pivotally connected with a retainer The retainer rod 105 extends rearwardly from its pivoted connection 104 through a suitable bushing 106 carried by the rear wall 13 of the feeder B, and is adapted for cooperation with the detent 50 on the opposite side of the stub shaft 51 with respect to that part which cooperates against the lower edge 53 of the closure operating construction 0.

Referring to the operation of this invention, if it is desired to feed the poultry or other live stock at say twelve oclock, the operator grasps the thumbnut 75 and retates the shaft 70 until the indicator 72 is positioned to designate twelve on the delineated dial 73. In this position the cam arm 91 has been moved over the plane surface 87 of the cam.86. The clock mechanism of course operating through its train of ears rotates the gear 85 and the cam 86 t1erewith, and the cam recess 88 will move to: ward the cam extension 91, and when the recess 88 reaches the predetermined positioning of the cam extension 91, the spring 100 will push the gear 85 along the shaft 70 and snap the cam 86 into position with the cam extension 91 placed in the recess 88. Move ment of the spring 100 operates the retainer rod 105 in like manner, withdrawing the same from its retaining position against an end of the detent 50, so that the latter will release the detent retained cross-shaped member, and the latter operated by gravity, as Well as assisted by the weight of the lids 18 and 19 will open the latter for releasing the quantity of feed within the compartment 25. It is of course readily understood that the o aeration of the clock mechanism is not interfered with by the openin of the closure members, as the cam sur ace 87 rides over the pin 91 to permit the clock to operate.

From the foregoing descriptionof this invention it is apparent that a novel type of feeder has been provided, operating with a novel type of closure means time controlled by means of novel tripping and detent mechamsm.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a feeder of the class described a housing providing a storage compartment havin openings at the lower opposite corners thereof, lids pivotally connected to said housing normally operated by their own weight to assume an open relation, a crossshaped member carried by said housing for vertical movement and including oppositely disposed side arms, links connecting the'opposite ends of said side arms with said lids so that the weight of said cross-shaped memher will act upon said lids to hold them in an open relation with respect to the openings of said housing, and time controlling means for operating said cross-shaped member.

2. In a feeder of the class described a housing having oppositely disposed corner openings at the lower corners thereof, hopper means in the housing for directing feed toward said openings, lids for each of said corner openings, a substantially crossshaped lid cooperating member including vertical arm portions and oppositely dis- 1 posed horizontal side arms, means slidably connecting the vertical arm portions on the housing for guiding the movement of the cross-shaped member in vertical direction upon said housing, links movably connected with the side arm portions and with said lids whereby to open and close the lids depending upon movement of said cross-shaped member, a time controlling mechanism carried by the housing, and trip means cooperating between the time controlling mechanism and cross-shaped member to release the latter at a predetermined time for opening said lids.

WILLIAM E. WENT. 

